Wednesday, October 1, 2014

BLM seeks input on predator derby

Agency will draft environmental assessment for January contest


By GREG MOORE
Express Staff Writer

    The BLM is seeking public comment on a proposal to hold predator-killing contests near Salmon each winter for the next five years.
     A hunters’ organization called Idaho for Wildlife is seeking a five-year special recreation permit for the event. According to the BLM, less than half the area expected to be used for the contest would be on BLM land.
    Idaho for Wildlife held a similar contest last December, but contestants hunted only on national forest land following a court ruling that the organization did not need a special-use permit for contestants to do so. Idaho for Wildlife did not seek to use BLM land at that time.
    According to the BLM, next year’s event is scheduled for Jan. 2-4.
    A point system would be established and applied to different predators, and participants would compete for the most points. Coyotes, skunks, weasels, jackrabbits, raccoons and starlings are classified by Idaho law as predatory. Predatory wildlife may be taken in any number year-round and at any time by holders of a hunting license. Wolves would also be a targeted species. There would be no trapping allowed. All Idaho Fish and Game hunting rules would apply.


A 15-day comment period for the application ends Oct. 16.



    The event could occur each year between Dec. 15 and Jan. 15, and the permit would be valid for five years after an initial one-year probation period.
    The anticipated use is between 250 and 300 registered competitors, though the permit would allow for up to 500.
    Special recreation permits are required by the BLM for all recreation-related competitive events.  Permits have been issued in the past for events such as endurance races, bike races, poker runs and eco-challenges.  In a press release, the BLM stated that the permit system ensures that it can appropriately manage visitor use, protect natural and cultural resources, and achieve local goals for the community.
    A 15-day comment period for the application ends Oct. 16. Comments will be considered as the agency writes an environmental assessment. Information regarding the EA can be found at www.blm.gov.
    The BLM asks that people who submit comments focus on issues that are under the BLM’s authority, which include impacts to recreation, wildlife habitat and social and economic values.  The BLM does not manage for wildlife or determine hunting regulations; the Idaho Department of Fish and Game has authority over all hunting regulations regardless of land jurisdiction.
    Submit comments by mail to BLM, 1206 S. Challis St., Salmon, ID 83467, attention predator hunt derby SRP, or by email at BLM_ID_Predatorhuntderby@blm.gov.
    For more information on the application, contact the BLM Salmon Field Office at 208-756-5425.




About Comments

Comments with content that seeks to incite or inflame may be removed.

Comments that are in ALL CAPS may be removed.

Comments that are off-topic or that include profanity or personal attacks, libelous or other inappropriate material may be removed from the site. Entries that are unsigned or contain signatures by someone other than the actual author may be removed. We will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or any other policies governing this site. Use of this system denotes full acceptance of these conditions. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.

The comments below are from the readers of mtexpress.com and in no way represent the views of Express Publishing, Inc.

You may flag individual comments. You may also report an inappropriate or offensive comment by clicking here.

Flagging Comments: Flagging a comment tells a site administrator that a comment is inappropriate. You can find the flag option by pointing the mouse over the comment and clicking the 'Flag' link.

Flagging a comment is only counted once per person, and you won't need to do it multiple times.

Proper Flagging Guidelines: Every site has a different commenting policy - be sure to review the policy for this site before flagging comments. In general these types of comments should be flagged:

  • Spam
  • Ones violating this site's commenting policy
  • Clearly unrelated
  • Personal attacks on others
Comments should not be flagged for:
  • Disagreeing with the content
  • Being in a dispute with the commenter

Popular Comment Threads



 Local Weather 
Search archives:


Copyright © 2024 Express Publishing Inc.   Terms of Use   Privacy Policy
All Rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Express Publishing Inc. is prohibited. 

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.